Martin Credits Allison For Early Start

November 20, 2009|By Harvey Fialkov Staff Writer

CORAL GABLES — Although a long shot, sentimental favorite Mark Martin is bidding to become the oldest NASCAR Sprint Cup champion Sunday, surpassing racing legend Bobby Allison, who was 45 when he won the 1983 title.

In a poignant moment during Thursday's news conference hyping this weekend's championship finales at the Homestead-Miami Speedway, Martin, 50, thanked Allison for helping launch his NASCAR career. In 1987, Allison, the honorary starter of the Ford 400, recommended Martin to Jack Roush, then a fledgling racing team owner.

"Bobby, obviously, was offered the opportunity and he recommended me," said Martin, in second place 108 points behind Hendrick Motorsports teammate Jimmie Johnson. "I was a Bobby fan and raced with Bobby a good bit in short-track racing [in the American Speed Association]."

Allison, who lived in Broward County from 1959-61 where he tested cars at Hollywood Raceway before settling in Alabama, said the Martin referral was a no-brainer.

"I told Jack he ought to try Mark Martin, and he did," said Allison, 71, whose 84 wins ranks third in NASCAR history. "He had the enthusiasm and the talent, the want to and the effort to go ahead and do it."

Martin, who joined the dynastic Hendrick Motorsport team this year, has won 40 Sprint Cup races, but has finished runner-up in the championship 10-race series four times - with a fifth looming.

Allison agreed that, Martin, who has no intention of retiring, could have several great years ahead of him.

"I got killed at Pocono when I was 50, and I had just won the Daytona 500 for the third time," Allison said. "Had I not got hurt that bad I probably would've gone on to compete a few more years. ... He's done so well taking care of himself physically and mentally and pursuing the event wherever it is."

Montoya welcomes McMurray to team

Miami resident Juan Pablo Montoya, the first foreign-born (Colombian) native to qualify for the Sprint Cup title, is battling a cold. He said he was excited Jamie McMurray left the Roush Fenway Racing team to join him in the Dale Earnhardt-Chip Ganassi stable next year.

"It shows that Chip is really committed to us moving forward," said Montoya, who's in sixth place. "Jamie is a guy with a lot of talent and can bring a lot to the table."